Tale of the Adidas Trefoil: How the Brand X VICE Adapted the Originals Campaign to the Middle East
Late last year, Adidas tugged on our heartstrings with the launch of its global Originals campaign, paying homage to the legacy of the trefoil iconography and the three-stripe. “We gave the world an Original. You gave us a thousand back,” reads the campaign title – articulating the brand’s revived vision to engage and empower communities with a strong focus on authenticity.
The trefoil, introduced in 1972, has become a potent symbol of the brand’s evolution. Over the years, this iconography has been embraced as a symbol of culture, sportsmanship, team spirit, and reliability. With this campaign’s launch, Adidas pays homage to the three iconic trainers – Superstar, Gazelle, and Samba with three short films. We also cited the significant new alteration to the logo – no more ‘Adidas’ inscription below the trefoil.
As part of localizing the campaign to the Middle East, Adidas MENA joined forces with VICE Arabia to redefine the trefoil legacy in the region. The campaign kicked off featuring stories of 17 regional artists based out of UAE and KSA. Through these narratives, the artists delve into their professional journeys and their connection with the brand’s values.
Communicate spoke with Aya Ibrahim, Associate Creative Director at VICE Media Group to further dive into the campaign’s impact on the region and the various insights it explored.
How did VICE contribute to the ideation and execution of this local campaign in the region?
VICE is deeply immersed in culture, and we have a knack for authentically drawing out stories from people. This campaign is centered on honesty and the embrace of authenticity. Through VICE’s unique style of communication, we created intimate, unscripted moments with our talent, allowing their stories to naturally unfold. What I love most about this campaign is its raw honesty and spontaneity. It's a genuine effort to inspire. Our aim was to encourage individuals to embrace their true selves, their identity, and their roots, all while pushing boundaries and staying true to originality – which aligns perfectly with the brand's vision. When collaborating with our talents, we asked them to define what originality means to them. Their responses covered interpretations of originality across various communities and cultures.
Emirati influencers, Twins Hadban collude with the Adidas Superstar and its renowned silhouette.
Our approach for the UAE and KSA was to spotlight the region, its influencers, and the cultural narratives specific to this area. We aimed to focus on these talents and showcase how they have contributed to the cultural stories of the region, defining them in the process.
Why did the brand decide to localize the campaign solely to the Middle East?
I believe that nowadays, people highly value their culture. When they see a brand or a campaign, they want it to truly resonate with them. So, the more we localize, the better. Otherwise, what kind of reactions are we getting from our audience? Our region is incredibly culturally rich, and our audience appreciates it when a brand taps into their culture and background. It has to make sense, especially with the multitude of mediums and channels available today. Emotional resonance is key to success in a campaign, in my opinion. Without it, I don't think the campaign would be as successful. New communities are always making headlines here, so for the purpose of localizing this global messaging, we selected people who have influence in the UAE and KSA, specifically from the Emirati and Saudi communities. The talents we chose are open-minded, yet deeply authentic. They embody the essence of reinventing authenticity and staying true to their originality. These are not individuals who have abandoned their roots, identity, or authenticity, but those who continue to inspire their communities. For instance, we featured Twins Hadban – Emirati influencers to embody their story with the Adidas Superstars, and the Adidas Gazelle’s creative expression was best expressed by the first Saudi female mural artist – Noura Bin Saidan. Saudi Filmmaker, Ali Al Kalthami shared his journey with us while reminiscing the adidas Samba’s contribution to his story. The Adidas Originals embrace both streetwear and culture. When individuals let go of their roots or authenticity, a culture can lose its ability to progress. The beauty lies in merging advancement with roots and identity. This is what shapes beautiful and vibrant communities that are so pronounced in our region. It's all about embracing the original and VICE also plays a significant role in this.
The Adidas Gazelle highlighted Noura Bin Saidan, the first Saudi female mural artist.
Saudi Filmmaker Ali Al Kalthami was featured in the campaign to share his journey in the film industry while recounting the story behind the Samba.
How did VICE along with Adidas determine the approach for this campaign in the region? What mediums did the teams decide on and why?
We decided to adopt a digital-first approach, with a strong focus on Instagram. This platform is where our audience spends the majority of their time, so it was crucial for us to capture their attention there. Instagram has been shifting towards storytelling, recognizing this trend, we leveraged Instagram and other social media platforms to direct users to the Adidas app. We aimed for a mobile-first, vertical approach that was personalized and immersive. Once users were on the app, they could explore a multitude of stories for each franchise, such as the Samba and the Superstar. This allowed them to choose and experience the stories they were most interested in. We created campaign pages within the Adidas mobile app to house all these original stories.
